Address-plate.



'unrrnn sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

HARMON P. ELLIOTT, OF NEWTON, MJQSSACHUSETTS.

ADDRESS-PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 15, 1911.

Application filed December 9, 1910. Serial No. 596,399.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARMON P. ELLIOTT, residing at Newton, in the countyof Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an ImprovementinAddress-Plates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to address-plates especially adapted for use inaddressingmachines. Theseplates are designed to be arranged in a stackin a suitable holder, and grouped according to location or otherwise,and it is very desirable that the groups shall be indexed alphabeticallyor otherwise; and this invention has for its object to improve theconstruction of the address-plates whereby any of them may be employedasindex cards, and those not so employed, when arranged in the stack, willexpose to view the portions of those which are so employed which bearthe index characters.

The invention consists essentially in an address-plate having an addressportion and having a portion of its edge adapted to admit ofindexcharacters being printed orotherwise marked thereon, and anotherportion of its edge opposite said index portion notched, the notchcorresponding in area to the area of the index portion.

The address-plates are preferably made of paper and comprise an addressportion of paper supported by an edge-frame, likewise of paper, and insuch case at least a portion of the edge-frame is made wide enough toadmit of the index characters being printed or otherwise marked thereon,and another portion of said edge-frame opposite the index portion isnotched. Those addressplates which are used as index cards will bearranged in the stack with their unnotched portions at the top, andthose not so employed will be arranged with their notched portions atthe top, the notches affording open spaces in front of the indexportions to admit of the index portions being observed. Theaddress-plates are thus reversible. The address-plates are usually madealike on both sides, and it is important that they shall all faceforward in the stack and to assist in thus arranging them the notch inthe edge and the index portion will be arranged at one side of themiddle. v

Figure 1 is a perspective view of several groups of address-platesarranged in a stack in a holder nd having some of the addressplatesarranged with their index portions at the top and others with theirnotched porthe long 'sides of the frame.

tions at the top to expose the index portions. Fig. 2 is a front view ofan address-plate arranged with the index portion at the top. Fig. 3 is afront view of the address-plate arranged with thenotched portion at thetop. Fig. 4 is a front view of a portion -of a modified form ofaddress-plate. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a portion of theaddressplate shown in Fig. 4.

The address-plate here shown for the purpose of illustrating myinvention consists of Y an address portion or card a, of paper,supported by a paper edge-frame b, but said parts. may be made of othermaterial, and, so far as my invention is, concerned the plate may beotherwise constructed.

- The edge-frame b is made wide enough, particularly along one side orportion thereof, as for instance between the indentations b, made in theedge, see Figs. 2 and 3, or in the side, see Figs. 4 and 5, to admit ofindex characters being printed or otherwise marked thereon and form anindex portion 72 and, as here shown, the index portion 6 is arranged atone side of the middle of one of An edge or edge-frame composed of paperis especially well suited for having index characters printed uponit.The opposite edge or side of the edge-frame is formed with a notch bwhich is arranged opposite the index portion with the index portions atthe top and those not so employed will be disposed with their notchedportions at the top, the notches affording open spaces in front of theindex portions and exposing them to view. It will be seen that byconstructing the addressplates in this manner any of hem may be used asindex cards, and those not so used may be arranged to afford open spacesin front of the index portions of those so used.

It is usual to arrange the address-plates in the st-a-ckso that thenames and addresses of all face forward, and are right-side uppermost,and this is accomplished by-cutting those address-plates used for indexcards reversely with respect to those not so used, as represented inFigs. 2 and 3, and by arranging the notches and index portions at oneside of the middle. For it will be observed, upon reference to Fig. 1,that if an address-plate is incorrectly arranged in the stack, asrepresented at c, the notch will be quite conspicuous, and may bedetected by a glance of the eye so that it may be rearranged.

I claim 1. An address-plate for addressing-machines having an addressportion and having a portion of its edge ada-ptedto, receive upon itindex characters, and another portion of its edge opposite said indexportion notched, the notch corresponding in area to the area of theindexportion, whereby the plate may be employed as an index card whenarranged in one position in a stack and will afiord an open space infront of the index portion of an address-plate when arranged in areverse position, substantially as described.

2. An address-plate for addressing-machines having an address card andan edgefraine supporting said card, aportion of said edge-frame beingmade wide enough to re-. ceive upon it index characters and anotherportion of said edge-frame opposite said index portion being notched,the notch corresponding in area to the area of the index portiomwherebythe plate may be employed as an index card when arranged in oneposition, and will afford an open space in front of the index portion ofan adjacent plate when arranged in a reverse position, substantially asdescribed.

3. An address-plate for addressing-machines having an address portionand having a portion of its edge at one side of the middle, adapted toreceive upon it index characters and another portion of its edge at oneside of the middle opposite said index portion notched, the notchcorresponding in area to the area of the index por tion, substantiallyas described.

4. An address-plate for addressing-machines having an address-card andan edgefranie supporting said card, a portion of said edge-frame at oneside of the middle being made Wide enough to'receive upon it indexcharacters and another portion of said edge-frame at one side of themiddle, opposite said index portion being notched, the notchcorresponding in area to the area of the index portion, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe: presence .of two subscribing witnesses.

HARMON P, ELLIOTT. Witnesses:

CHARLES A. RICE, W. ANDERSON.

